Beauty /Albedo x Reader/

[4] Lovers

“I saw the girl you were talking to. Seems like she blew on her own cover as well.”
 
Walking away from the table he once sat, the azure eyes as cold as the freezing mountain located in Dragonspine gazed its way up to the night blue peacock man. His own night sky-ed eyes themselves were heavier on Albedo’s own, a smile that didn’t spark his eyes flashed before him.
 
“Yes, I was simply giving her a small greeting. Now if you’ll excuse me一”
 
“Why so cold? We haven’t had a talk after you were assigned with this abandoned case.”
 
“I wonder who assigned me with this,” Albedo shot, sarcasm written all over his face as he lazily shifted his gaze and waltzed away, only for him to be stopped once again. “Not so fast. I gave her to you so you could help her,” Kaeya responded.
 
Albedo heaved a breath, slowly feeling his energy drained just from an hour out from his usual residing place. He inhaled, closing his eyes hoping to decrease his building annoyance一yet, when he tried to flush it down, the sight of the girl with no veil on crept up instead.
 
He couldn’t understand why did everyone ask him to “save” her, to help her out when the fact was, she was the source of his current missing report. Did she manipulate people with her innocent act? Or did she charm others, making them believe she was in fact, the innocent one.
 
“This is a missing case, not a roleplaying game. Stay out of this,” the blonde man warned. He didn’t need the same person that dragged him into this, caused him another trouble. “Hm? I was simply wondering why did you come to her and decided to humor her. There were other empty seats, and there you barely made a conversation,” Kaeya replied, even if his voice was filled with mischief, his eyes glinted in amusement, wondering the next mischievous situation.
 
Just how many time did the captain stopped him?
 
“I just wanted to see and confirm myself of her identity and her overall personality. I hope this is enough of information. I’ll be taking my leave.”
 
He expected no less from the mischievous captain, but he didn’t expect for the same h/c locks to appear whenever he blinked his eyes一the same unique eyes like the never ending spiral abyss, a milky way of the world. He expected nothing of it, he had some of the clues he needed, pictures of the missing Y/n he had been searching for.
 
He'd found it all.
 
***
 
The scent of the same old woods stirred with the scent of books flew up Y/n’s nostrils, the sensation of the paper on her fingertips as her eyes waltzed from one word to another. Instead of the serene atmosphere she hoped for, her mind couldn’t stop replaying the moment she just had with the alchemist.
 
‘Great,’ she thought, ‘Another person knew me.’ Y/n wasn’t sure if she were being careful, but on the bigger picture, she knew she herself, didn’t try hard enough to cover herself up more.
 
She couldn’t bear going back to her step mother’s house, not after she’d bet her life on her own freedom. She clenched her hand, digging her nails on her skin, the same memories flew in like a bird passing by, as if her body warned her.
 
“一/n? Y/n?”
 
A deeper voice spoke, the tone filled with concern brought her attention back to the night blue man, sitting across her as he had waited for her response. “K-Kaeya.. I didn’t notice you there.”
 
“I’ve been here for five minutes, is there something in your mind?” he asked, his own eyes like the night sky painted with stars locked with her e/c irises. “Nothing actually. Just wondering uhm…” she drew her hand out, fingers tracing on the random words she found in the book she held, till she let out a proclaiming voice, “Oh! This. You know, about how food is processed with the help of microorganism? Take wine for example.”
 
Kaeya had always been silent with her lies, her secrets, and her worries, deep within her heart, Y/n wished for him to be silent one more time just so for the anxiety to ease, but she also knew it wouldn’t happen. “Is this because of the man you met this morning?”
 
“H-huh?”
 
“You’re an aspired biologist, you’ve hold the basic knowledge of Biology. It would be questionable if you ask something as simple as that,” Kaeya said, “And that man was Albedo Kreideprinz, the Chief of Alchemist.”
 
Kreideprinz… Kreodeprinz… she was sure she’d hesrt it else where一and click.
 
“He一he’s affiliated with the Favonius?”
 
She knew a great alchemist that had a relation with Lisa would be affiliated to something with great achievements, but the moment she heard his title and his full name, she couldn’t help but feel her heart stopped beating. Something similar to arrhythmia一 she supposed her heart felt一oh, how screwed she was.
 
“Ah, was I right to tell you about his affiliation? You seem pale, how about I leave and you take a break一”
 
“N-no, it’s alright. I just didn’t know he was affiliated with the Favonius. Why did you only tell me now?”
 
“If I’d told you before, you wouldn’t have acted normally around him, would you?”
 
Ah, that wasn’t entirely wrong. She gripped both of her hands once again, eyes averted to wherever they may find themselves landed. “He… is the one who’s holding my case right?”
 
“Yep.”
 
“Oh, dear God… that’s not good.”
 
She swore she felt her throat tightened. The atmosphere itself felt tensed, she was so close to being sent back. A laughter of amusement chimed in her ears, pulling her away from the thoughts creeping beneath her neck. “Don’t worry, there are many solutions you can do to avoid it. Sadly, none of them are easy.”
 
She let out a heavy sigh, there was no use of being anxious and lost in her own thoughts. Her eyes flickered up, lifting her light eyelids to her quiet surrounding, as there was no one in the library other than the captain and herself.
 
“It’s already difficult convincing you and Master two years ago, how am I supposed to convince that alchemist?”
 
He was polite, but too formal一monotone, no paint of expression in his face, not a hint of compassion in his words, could be considered plain and difficult. How must she wiggle her way out from his sight? “Kaeya, tell me more about the alchemist.”
 
“Like?”
 
“Like how he achieves his goals, is he type to be swayed easily? From my guesses he’s not一but how many chance is there?”
 
The man before her hummed, fingers on his chin as he gave a deep thinking of the said alchemist. “Hmm, well.. he’s not one to give up on his goal easily, he wouldn’t resort to unnecessary tricks to achieve them, but he’d surely do anything to get it. He’s wise but you many never know what’s in his mind.”
 
“Does he have a past emotion relationships? Like maybe a girlfriend, a family, or friends一”
 
“I’m not sure if I can say this but, he doesn’t have a family like a mom or a dad, but he has Alice and Klee. I’m not familiar with his friends, but from what I know, Sucrose and Timmeus are his friend. Albedo isn’t one to get involved in relationships.”
 
“Sucrose…”
 
The name was familiar on the tip of her tongue, like a dandelion that attached with memories being blown away as it was set free, brought by the wind to a far away place no one knew to where. She clenched her fist, bit her lips, her eyes tried its best to stay still on Kaeya, but it was all too difficult.
 
Kaeya stayed silent, the utter of a name was incoherent to his ears, yet something swept in his mind commanding him to stop.
 
Soon, only silence waiting for each other to speak. One that was lost in her old memories, and one that was lost his own dilemma until he finally decided to speak.
 
“Are you alright? Is that enough information you need?”
 
He spoke, a little bit more calm than worries. In respond, she let out a sigh and hummed. “Yeah, that’s it.”
 
Kaeya hummed as well. “He’s not one to give up his goals. How about you change his goal? If you can’t stop someone, you can give him new one.”
 
“Like what? Make him fall in love?” she joked, hoping to lighten up the atmosphere一in result, a smirk beamed his face. “Wow, that’s very bold. I’d say that’s the hard way, but go ahead and try. Maybe you’d down that feelings of yours?”
 
Down that feelings of hers…? What was he referring to? Her anxiety?
 
She furrowed her eyebrows, confused as she demanded the meaning of his words. “Ah, perhaps you don’t notice it but don’t think I don’t know how you look at him at times.”
 
…
 
“Give him a new goal.”
 
Her friend’s words replayed like a broken recorder, the quill on between her fingers spun as her eyes landed on her paper lazily. Her hazy thoughts, the memories that drowned her in endless nightmares of her past, she’d do anything to break free, away from her past.
 
But making someone fall for her?
 
Love itself wasn’t enough to give a new goal.
 
Her finger tapped on the table, messy in rhythm but she couldn’t care less. Though, years reading fairytales and nothing but fairytales during her childhood, her heart ached again and again whenever she  looked back.
 
Was there another way?
 
She breathed in, hoping to decrease her worries, only for it to add more than it should. As the night outside bellowed its warning and commands to her ears, she’d chosen her path, risky.
 
Walking along this path would mean getting herself hurt. But she was ready一at least that’s how she wished for it to be.
 
Creakkk
 
The sound of the creaking door echoed in her ears, she closed all of her study books, tidied up all the scattered paper and took the f/c veil and covered half of her face as how she’d always done. A polite smile on the face as a finishing touch.
 
Y/n turned her heels from her seat, facing to the opened door as it revealed the aforementioned blonde man walking in the quiet and dark library, nothing but the candles to accompany. “Excuse me, sir.” Her voice echoed through the room, casting away the silent atmosphere and return its serenity.
 
He lifted his eyelashes, revealing his azure irises一as if trapping Y/n’s own within his eyes. Her throat felt dry, as if all voice was lost and words went blank.  What went wrong, she wondered.
 
“How can I help you? People don’t come in this late.”
 
Albedo fell silent, as if lost in his thoughts before he shot his answer, “I’m looking for a book of humans’ emotions. Could you recommend me the best one?”
 
Her eyelashes fell on his, without realizing, her cheeks lifted on its own一shining her unseen smile behind the veil, the resplendent moonlight shining it grace on herself as if she’s the awaited moon goddess. “Come this way. I’ll show you the way. Let’s have a talk after you claim the book as well.”
 
From there, she wondered where did her timid self went tonight.

****

Written: 27 June 2021
Edited: 1 October 2022

Sorry if this is rushed! I've done this only within a day, haha.